Fans of action movies may know Indonesian cinema principally for 2011’s soon-to-be-remade The Raid or perhaps Ratu Ilmu Hitam (The Queen of Black Magic). The latter is a 2019 horror film that drew the attention of many Western critics. But there is much more to the industry in Southeast Asia’s largest country than horror and muscle-and-bullets thrillers.

The official synopsis for this Netflix release reads:

This year’s Ben and Jody offers a nuanced take on the action film, telling the story of a village whose inhabitants’ existence is threatened by the activities of a group of illegal loggers. Here’s what to expect.

Since deciding to leave Filosofi Kopi, Ben has lived in his hometown and actively defending farmer groups whose lands have been taken over by the Company.

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If the lack of exposition and the jump straight into the action at the start of Ben & Jody reminds you of a sequel, that’s because that’s exactly what the film is. Indonesian audiences will be well familiar with Ben and Jody, having last encountered them on the big screen in the 2015 hit film Filosofi Kopi (Philosophy Coffee), as well as its 2017 sequel. The whole franchise is based on characters created by singer-songwriter and novelist Dewi Lestari.

The gap in tone between Ben & Jody and its predecessors is profound. Filosofi Kopi was an emotional drama about the struggle of two buddies to build up their business, a coffee shop, in the face of huge debts inherited from the previous owner, the skepticism of friends and family, and troubles of all sorts. After the pair’s trials and tribulations, Filosofi Kopi emerges as feel-good cinema, as Ben puts in the hard yards – learning from books and coffee growers alike – in the quest to become a top-class barista.

Filosofi Kopi 2 (2017) covered similar ground, putting a road trip spin on Ben and Jody’s adventures as they travel around Indonesia distributing Ben’s “perfect coffee” and meeting many a challenge along the way. A well-received YouTube web series also followed, and the first film’s primary filming location in Jakarta is now a tourist destination.

Ben & Jody Is a Slow-Burning Action Thriller

So far, so good. But Ben & Jody is different, segueing into action territory with surprisingly little fuss. Talks of negotiations between a logging company and the inhabitants of Ben’s home village come to nothing when two trucks full of thugs crash through the barricade the villagers built across the local road and begin clubbing everyone they see, Ben among them. Shortly afterward, Ben gets jumped by masked men while trying to find transport to a medical facility and is bundled into the back of a truck destined for a remote hideout of the loggers. Before long, his absence is noted at the coffee shop, and Jodi goes to look for him.

Jodi is played by Rio Dewanto and Ben by Chicco Jerikho. Both actors have been honored at the Citra Awards – Indonesia’s equivalent of the Academy Awards. After the success of Filosofi Kopi, the pair helped to establish a real-life version of the coffee shop seen in the movie. Their skills are put to good use here, with Dewanto assuming the role of the everyman turned intrepid adventurer who’ll stop at nothing to find his friend. Jerikho effectively plays the defender of the villagers who wears his heart on his sleeve and winds up captured because of it.

But the film is made by its chief antagonist, played by Yayan Ruhian. The actor was introduced to English-speaking audiences via a brief appearance opposite Harrison Ford as Tasu Leech aboard the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and has a starring role in Moritz Mohr’s Boy Kills World which is currently in production. He is a genuinely fearful villain as Aa Tubir, who throws his weight around once Ben and Jodi are in his grasp with relish and thinks nothing of executing anyone who attempts to escape his jungle hideout.

Ben & Jody’s Leap in Genre Works

At first glance, everything about the premise of Ben and Jody seems wrong. Think of any buddy pairing in a drama from the last decade, imagine them in deep peril from bad guys with guns, and throw in a couple of escape attempts, and the disconnect is at once obvious. Ben & Jody confounds expectations but does so in an entirely believable manner, helped along by consistently high production values, solid work from the supporting cast, and directorial values emphasizing clarity of movement over the ceaseless rapid-fire editing that so often plagues today’s action films.

But for a noticeable slackening of pace during the film’s third act, there would be nothing to criticize. Even so, Ben and Jody’s third cinematic outing is well worth a look. It might just be the best Indonesian film of the year.